Mission: Impossible - The Complete First TV Season
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Barbara Bain, Martin Landau, Steven HillBrand: Paramount
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Closed-captioned, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 1404 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-12-05
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: CBS Paramount Domestic Television
Movie Reviews of Mission: Impossible - The Complete First TV Season
Movie Review: Mission Impossible: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Summary: 5 Stars
Mission Impossible:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Mission was a program unique to it's era and should be viewed in that context. It was, of course, the James Bond era, but it was also the ear of the cold war, where enemies, foreign and domestic were somehow lucking everywhere and our mission, should we decide to accept it, was to intercede and prevent the downfall of civilizations.
In viewing the episodes on this collection, I discovered, again, that Mission was really in its way, the first ensemble TV shows. In the first episodes, jointing the cast members of Stephen Hill, Barbara Bain, Gregg Morris and Peter Lupus, would be several guest stars, each with unique skills to help the mission. The mission, famously, was given by a mysterious voice on a series of interesting devices, not all tape recorders then. This allowed the plot to start quickly, bypassing the James Bond speaks to M stage of the drama.
In the first episodes were are clearly told what the mission was and what the goals were. Almost always something went wrong and a "new" mission had to be developed to pull their rears out of the fire. This also made the show seem more like an anthology program because each week the stars and the new quest star played new roles in new circumstances. Eventually the shows become a mystery when Dr Briggs does not tell the viewer exactly what his goals are. You sit there and wonder, "what the heck are they doing?" While the show was always written well, it shows signs of brilliance the first season. For example, in one episode, Martin Landau must find a important tape recorder that an agent had hidden while being chased by the bad guys. They do it by putting him into the same, terrible situation. Really smart. And while they may be looking for that formula for episodes yet to come, it is not here
Of course, in the first season Martin Landau becomes a regular, and the use of gust stars goes down. But Greg Morris also expands his presence and becomes one of the signatures of the series. I had forgotten just how perfect he was in this role.
And the music of course is outstanding, this show set the example for series yet to come.
The Bad:
Not quite overwhelming yet are the electronic devices that will take over the show and the constant face masks that change a person height, weight, body structure and voice making the episode hard to believe. The agents rely on each other and well as themselves and their acting convinces you. The plot sometimes also rely on unbelievable circumstances. In one episode, Martin Landau using slight of hand to get lockmithing tools within a prison when he was being taken prisoner. That sort of thing takes you out of the reality.
The Ugly:
A lone voice on a recorder game them instructions to have people killed, both in and out of the U.S. No trial, no evidence. That's right, these people are often assassins. They also topple small governments in their spare time. Usually they just set up people to be killed but they shoot people on their way out! In one episode, "The Diamond" they blow up the leader of a country, steal his diamond and kill a few guards on the way out.
Finally, while they may be looking for that formula for episodes yet to come, it is not here yet and the action, the writing, the music and the sets almost make in a mini movie. If you can get past the ugly, that's not bad for 1966.
Summary of Mission: Impossible - The Complete First TV Season
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